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Variations in attitudinal gender preferences for children across 50 less-developed countries

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  • Kana Fuse

    (National Institute of Population and Social Security Research)

Abstract

While a number of studies have examined gender preferences for children by studying behavioral measures, such as skewed sex ratios, sex imbalance in infant mortality, and sibling size/order; attitudinal measures have been analyzed less systematically. Using 50 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2000 and 2008, this paper seeks to advance our understanding of gender preferences in developing countries by examining attitudinal measures cross-nationally. This study’s findings show that, while balance preference is the most common type of preference in the vast majority of countries, countries/regions vary in the prevalence of son and daughter preferences. A preference for sons is not always found; and, indeed, a preference for daughters is shown to prevail in many societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Kana Fuse, 2010. "Variations in attitudinal gender preferences for children across 50 less-developed countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 23(36), pages 1031-1048.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:23:y:2010:i:36
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.36
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vinod Mishra & T. K. Roy & Robert D. Retherford, 2004. "Sex Differentials in Childhood Feeding, Health Care, and Nutritional Status in India," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 30(2), pages 269-295, June.
    2. repec:cai:poeine:pope_302_0231 is not listed on IDEAS
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    2. Kumar, Alok & Kober, Brianne, 2012. "Urbanization, human capital, and cross-country productivity differences," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 14-17.
    3. Harttgen, Kenneth & Lang, Stefan & Seiler, Johannes, 2019. "Selective mortality and the anthropometric status of children in low- and middle-income countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 257-273.
    4. Pena-Boquete, Yolanda & Samambayeva, Aizhan & Zhumakanova, Aigerim & Makhmejanov, Galym, 2019. "Determinants of child mortality risk in Kazakhstan," MPRA Paper 97328, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Eleonora Mussino & Vitor Miranda & Li Ma, 2019. "Transition to third birth among immigrant mothers in Sweden: Does having two daughters accelerate the process?," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 81-109, June.
    6. Ankita Mishra & Jaai Parasnis, 2022. "Intentions for a third child: The role of parental sex composition preferences," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(3), pages 472-487, August.
    7. Ashwini Sebastian & Ana Paula de la O Campos & Silvio Daidone & Noemi Pace & Benjamin Davis & Ousmane Niang & Luca Pellerano, 2019. "Cash Transfers and Gender Differentials in Child Schooling and Labor: Evidence from the Lesotho Child Grants Programme," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 45(S1), pages 181-208, December.
    8. Boonaert, Eva & Hoyweghen, Kaat Van & Feyisa, Ashenafi Duguma & Goos, Peter & Maertens, Miet, 2021. "Twofold Gendered Preferences in the Quantity-Quality Trade-Off Impact the Demographic Transition in Ethiopia," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315224, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Lamichhane, Kamal & Watanabe, Takayuki, 2015. "The Effect of Disability and Gender on Returns to the Investment in Education: A Case from Metro Manilla of the Philippines," Working Papers 103, JICA Research Institute.
    10. Ahmed Waqas & Nahal Raza & Haneen Wajid Lodhi & Zerwah Muhammad & Mehak Jamal & Abdul Rehman, 2015. "Psychosocial Factors of Antenatal Anxiety and Depression in Pakistan: Is Social Support a Mediator?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Qianqian Shang & Quanbao Jiang & Yongkun Yin, 2022. "How Does Children's Sex Affect Parental Sex Preference: Preference Adaptation and Learning," Working Papers wp2022_2202, CEMFI.
    12. Li-Chung Hu & Yi-Lin Chiang, 2021. "Having Children in a Time of Lowest-Low Fertility: Value of Children, Sex Preference and Fertility Desire among Taiwanese Young Adults," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 537-554, April.
    13. Nunoo, Jacob & Nyanzu, Frederick, 2017. "Dietary pattern, socioeconomic status and child health outcomes in Ghana: application of multilevel analysis," MPRA Paper 80663, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Collins, Matthew, 2022. "Sibling Gender, Inheritance Customs and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Matrilineal and Patrilineal Societies," Working Papers 2022:5, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    15. Clifford Odimegwu & Marifa Muchemwa & Joshua O. Akinyemi, 2023. "Systematic review of multilevel models involving contextual characteristics in African demographic research," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 1-29, June.
    16. Valentine Becquet & Nicolás Sacco & Ignacio Pardo, 2022. "Disparities in Gender Preference and Fertility: Southeast Asia and Latin America in a Comparative Perspective," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1295-1323, June.
    17. Kenneth Harttgen & Stefan Lang & Johannes Seiler, 2017. "Selective mortality and undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries," Working Papers 2017-27, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck, revised Aug 2018.
    18. Kate Hampshire & Mwenza Blell & Bob Simpson, 2012. "Navigating New Socio-Demographic Landscapes: Using Anthropological Demography to Understand the ‘Persistence’ of High and Early Fertility Among British Pakistanis [Explorer les nouveaux paysages so," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 28(1), pages 39-63, February.
    19. Yi Zeng & Linda George & Melanie Sereny & Danan Gu & James W. Vaupel, 2015. "Older parents enjoy better filial piety and care from daughters than sons in China," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2015-012, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    20. Michel Garenne & Nancy Stiegler, 2023. "Parental sex-preferences in South Africa: culture and family composition," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1-15, December.
    21. Kathryn Yount & Sarah Zureick-Brown & Nafisa Halim & Kayla LaVilla, 2014. "Fertility Decline, Girls’ Well-being, and Gender Gaps in Children’s Well-being in Poor Countries," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 535-561, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender preferences for children; cross-national research; comparative analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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